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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — a short time
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. chest — a box
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mug — to rob
  10. key — for a lock
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spell — letters
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — a face
  16. spell — magic
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — the season
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com